Investigation of the Divergence Characteristics of Delta-planform Canard Controls

The static aeroelastic divergence characteristics of a delta-planform model of a canard control surface have been studied both analytically and experimentally in the Mach number range from 0.6 to 3.0. The experiments indicated that divergence occurred at a nearly constant value of dynamic pressure at Mach numbers up to 1.2. At higher Mach numbers somewhat higher values of dynamic pressure were required to produce divergence. The analysis and the experiment indicate that the camber stiffness of the control surface and the stiffness of the control actuator are both important in divergence of surfaces of this type.